Map information update system and map information update server

ABSTRACT

A map information update system includes a map database; a server; a vehicle position recognition unit configured to recognizes a vehicle position of a vehicle on a map; an external environment information generation unit configured to generate external environment information related to an external environment of the vehicle in association with the vehicle position on the map based on the vehicle position on the map and a detection result of a sensor mounted on the vehicle; a map freshness calculation unit configured to calculate map freshness per area set in advance on map information; a awarding unit configured to award a user of the vehicle or the vehicle an incentive point which is set in advance in accordance with the map freshness of the area corresponding to the external environment information, when the external environment information is transmitted to the server from the vehicle; and a user interaction unit.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/904,794 filed Feb.26, 2018 (allowed), which claims priority to Japanese Patent ApplicationNo. 2017-035046 filed on Feb. 27, 2017. The entire disclosures of theprior applications are considered part of the disclosure of theaccompanying continuation application, and are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a map information update system and amap information update server.

2. Description of Related Art

In the related art, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application PublicationNo. 2016-180797 (JP 2016-180797 A) is known as a technical documentrelated to a map information update system. A device disclosed in JP2016-180797 A is a road information generation device that generates aroad map from traveling data of a vehicle. The device includes a storageunit that stores a plurality of pieces of traveling data of the vehicle,and a road information generation unit that generates road informationfrom a set of road position information and the corresponding travelingdata.

A program disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2003-331390 (JP 2003-331390 A) is an informationprovision program that provides sensor information of a vehicle-mountedsensor to an external system when permitted by a driver. The programnotifies the driver of a point in accordance with the reliability of thesensor information.

SUMMARY

Communication cost is incurred when data is transmitted from a vehicleto a server where map information is updated. Thus, it is desirable toaward an incentive to a user of the vehicle to transmit data. However,in the information provision program in JP 2003-331390 A, high pointsare awarded for high reliability of sensor information even when thesensor information is not needed for updating the map information. Thus,there is room for improvement.

In the present technical field, it is desirable to provide a mapinformation update system and a map information update server that canappropriately award an incentive point (score) for transmittinginformation to the map information update server from a vehicle.

A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a map informationupdate system. The map information update system includes a map databaseconfigured to store map information; a map information update serverconfigured to update the map information based on external environmentinformation which is acquired by communicating with a vehicle; a vehicleposition recognition unit configured to recognize a position of thevehicle on a map; an external environment information generation unitconfigured to generate the external environment information related toan external environment of the vehicle in association with the positionof the vehicle on the map based on the position of the vehicle on themap and a detection result of an external sensor which is mounted in thevehicle; a map freshness calculation unit configured to calculate mapfreshness per area which is set in advance on the map information; anincentive point awarding unit configured to award a user of the vehicleor the vehicle an incentive point which is set in advance in accordancewith the map freshness of the area corresponding to the externalenvironment information, when the external environment information istransmitted to the map information update server from the vehicle; and auser interaction unit configured to present map freshness informationrelated to the map freshness of the area or incentive point informationrelated to the incentive point of the area to the user.

According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, by transmittingthe external environment information to the map information updateserver from the vehicle, the user of the vehicle or the vehicle isawarded the incentive point that is set in advance in accordance withthe map freshness calculated per area corresponding to the externalenvironment information. Accordingly, according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, the incentive point can be appropriately awardedfor transmitting information to the map information update server fromthe vehicle. According to the first aspect of the present disclosure,the convenience of use for the user can be improved by presenting themap freshness information related to the map freshness of the area orthe incentive point information related to the incentive point of thearea to the user.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, the user interaction unit may ask the userwhether or not to transmit the external environment information to themap information update server, and control the external environmentinformation to be transmitted to the map information update server whenthe user responds to transmit the external environment information tothe map information update server. According to the first aspect of thepresent disclosure, the user is asked whether or not to transmit theexternal environment information to the map information update serverfrom the vehicle. When the user responds to transmit the externalenvironment information to the map information update server, theexternal environment information is transmitted to the map informationupdate server. Thus, the convenience of use for the user can beimproved.

The map information update system according to the first aspect of thepresent disclosure may further include a path selection unit configuredto cause the user to select the path when a plurality of paths to betraveled by the vehicle is present. The user interaction unit maypresent the map freshness information in the paths or the incentivepoint information in the paths to the user at a time of path selectionby the user. According to the first aspect of the present disclosure,the map freshness information or the incentive point information in thepaths is presented to the user at the time of path selection. Thus, theuser can be motivated to select the path from which the user wants toacquire the external environment information from the viewpoint ofupdating the map information.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, when a target path that passes through the areahaving the map freshness lower than or equal to a map freshnessthreshold is included in the paths at the time of path selection by theuser, the user interaction unit may inform the user that a firstadditional incentive point is awarded by transmitting the externalenvironment information acquired by the vehicle traveling along thetarget path to the map information update server. The incentive pointawarding unit may award the user or the vehicle the first additionalincentive point when the external environment information of the targetpath acquired by the vehicle traveling along the target path selected bythe user is transmitted to the map information update server. Accordingto the first aspect of the present disclosure, awarding the firstadditional incentive point can motivate the user to select the targetpath that passes through the area having the map freshness lower than orequal to the map freshness threshold. Thus, it is advantageous for boththe user and a system operator to transmit the external environmentinformation of the area having the map freshness lower than or equal tothe map freshness threshold to the map information update server.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, when the map freshness of the area through whichan adjacent lane that is adjacent to a traveling lane traveled by thevehicle passes is lower than the map freshness of the area through whichthe traveling lane passes, the user interaction unit may inform the userthat a second additional incentive point is awarded by transmitting theexternal environment information acquired by the vehicle traveling onthe adjacent lane to the map information update server. The incentivepoint awarding unit may award the user or the vehicle the secondadditional incentive point when the external environment information ofthe adjacent lane acquired by the vehicle changing the lane istransmitted to the map information update server. According to the firstaspect of the present disclosure, awarding the second additionalincentive point can motivate the user to change the lane to the adjacentlane that passes through the area having low map freshness. Thus, it isadvantageous for both the user and the system operator to transmit theexternal environment information of the area having low map freshness tothe map information update server.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, when the user sets automatic transmission toautomatically transmit the external environment information of thevehicle to the map information update server, the user interaction unitmay automatically transmit the external environment informationgenerated by the external environment information generation unit to themap information update server. According to the first aspect of thepresent disclosure, the user does not need to respond each time fortransmission of the external environment information, and theconvenience of use for the user can be improved.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, the user interaction unit may inform the userthat a third additional incentive point is awarded when the externalenvironment information is automatically transmitted to the mapinformation update server by setting the automatic transmission. Theincentive point awarding unit may award the user or the vehicle thethird additional incentive point when the external environmentinformation is automatically transmitted to the map information updateserver by setting the automatic transmission. According to the firstaspect of the present disclosure, awarding the third additionalincentive point can motivate the user to set the automatic transmissionof the external environment information of the vehicle, and the mapinformation update server can stably acquire the external environmentinformation. Thus, it is advantageous for both the user and the systemoperator.

In the map information update system according to the first aspect ofthe present disclosure, the map information update server may include areliability evaluation unit that evaluates reliability of the externalenvironment information. The map information update server may updatethe map information using the external environment information that hasthe reliability higher than or equal to a reliability threshold.According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the mapinformation is updated using the external environment information havinghigh reliability. Thus, a decrease in the accuracy of the mapinformation can be suppressed.

A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a map informationupdate server. The map information update server includes a firstdatabase configured to store map information, a second databaseconfigured to store an association between a score and a user of acommunicating vehicle or the vehicle, and a control circuit. The controlcircuit is configured to control calculation of the score based on themap information and first information related to a position of thevehicle acquired by communicating with the vehicle, transmission of thescore to the vehicle, updating of the map information based on secondinformation that is transmitted from the vehicle after the score istransmitted to the vehicle, and updating of the score for the user orthe vehicle when the map information is updated based on the secondinformation.

As described heretofore, according to the first and second aspects ofthe present disclosure, the incentive point can be appropriately awardedfor transmitting information to the map information update server fromthe vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance ofexemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denotelike elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a map information update systemaccording to the present embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating one example of information that ispresented to a user at the time of path selection;

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating one example of information that ispresented to the user at the time of suggesting a lane change;

FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating a map information update process;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating a map freshness calculation process;

FIG. 4A is a flowchart illustrating an information presentation processat the time of path selection;

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating an incentive point awarding process;

FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating a target path selection process;

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating a first additional incentive pointawarding process;

FIG. 6A is a flowchart illustrating an adjacent lane determinationprocess; and

FIG. 6B is a flowchart illustrating a second additional incentive pointawarding process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a map information update systemaccording to the present embodiment. A map information update system 100illustrated in FIG. 1 is a system that updates map information usinginformation acquired from a vehicle.

Configuration of Map Information Update System

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the map information update system 100 includesa map information update server 101 and a vehicle control device 102.

Configuration of Map Information Update Server

The map information update server 101 is a server that is disposed in afacility such as a center where information related to traffic ismanaged. The map information update server 101 updates the mapinformation based on external environment information acquired from avehicle that can communicate with the map information update server 101.The external environment information is information related to theexternal environment of the vehicle (includes a road environment such asa white line on the road) that is detected with an external sensor ofthe vehicle. Details of the external environment information will bedescribed below.

The map information update server 101 is configured as a generalcomputer including a CPU, a storage unit, and a communicationcontroller. The storage unit may be a ROM and/or a RAM, or may be astorage medium such as an HDD having a redundant arrays of inexpensivedisks (RAID) configuration. The storage unit may be disposed outside themap information update server 101. The communication controller is acommunication device such as a network card that controls communication.Each function of the map information update server 101 is realized by aset of operations of each hardware unit. The map information updateserver 101 may be configured with a plurality of computers. The mapinformation update server 101 may be a cloud server.

The map information update server 101 includes a server-side mapdatabase 11, a map freshness calculation unit 12, an incentive pointawarding unit 13, a reliability evaluation unit 14, and a mapinformation update unit 15. The map information update server 101 isconnected to a server-side communication unit 16 that communicates withthe vehicle. For example, the server-side communication unit 16 is acommunication facility in the center where the map information updateserver 101 is disposed.

The server-side map database 11 is a database that stores the mapinformation. The map information includes road position information,road shape information (for example, types of curves and linear parts,and the curvature of each curve), intersection and branch positioninformation, structure position information, and the like. Theserver-side map database 11 is a reference for a vehicle-side mapdatabase 24 described below. Updating the map information in theserver-side map database 11 will be described below.

The server-side map database 11 stores area information that is relatedto areas set in advance on the map. For example, each area is formed bydividing the map in a grid shape. The manner of forming the areas is notparticularly limited. Each area may be a section that is set along theroad. The server-side map database 11 may be disposed in a server thatis different from the map information update server 101.

The map freshness calculation unit 12 calculates map freshness per areathat is set on the map information in the server-side map database 11.The map freshness is the degree of freshness of the map information. Themap freshness calculation unit 12 calculates the map freshness inaccordance with an elapsed time period from the update of the mapinformation in each area. For example, the map freshness calculationunit 12 calculates a higher value of the map freshness as the elapsedtime period from the update of the map information in each area isshorter. The map freshness calculation unit 12 does not need tocalculate the map freshness as a numerical value. The map freshnesscalculation unit 12 may acquire the map freshness as a stepwise statesuch as high, medium, and low.

The incentive point awarding unit 13 awards an incentive point to thevehicle or a user of the vehicle when the external environmentinformation is transmitted to the map information update server 101 fromthe vehicle controlled by the vehicle control device 102. Specifically,for example, the incentive point awarding unit 13 may include a databasethat associates the vehicle or the user of the vehicle with theincentive point (score). In the present embodiment, the user of thevehicle may be a person in the vehicle. For example, the user of thevehicle refers to a person who uses the vehicle. For example, the targetof awarding the incentive point is one user. The user does not need tobe a driver and may be a passenger. The user who is the target ofawarding the incentive point may be an owner (includes a corporation) ofthe vehicle who is not in the vehicle.

The incentive point is a point for motivating the user of the vehicle totransmit the external environment information to the map informationupdate server 101. For example, the incentive point may be a mile inMileage (registered trademark) of an airline company, a point in awell-known point system, or an exclusive point. The incentive point maybe a point that provides advantages to the user by accumulating theincentive point. The incentive point can be a point that can be used forpaying a fee for using a toll road, paying the cost of inspecting thevehicle, and paying the cost of examining the vehicle, or can beexchanged with fuel, exchanged with merchandise items, or converted intoelectronic money.

The incentive point awarding unit 13 determines the incentive point inaccordance with the map freshness of the area corresponding to theexternal environment information. The incentive point awarding unit 13may determine the incentive point using map data that associates the mapfreshness with the incentive point. The area that corresponds to theexternal environment information is an area that includes a positionwhere the external environment information is acquired on the map.

The incentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user or the vehicle theincentive point corresponding to the map freshness of the area when, forexample, the amount of external environment information included in thearea becomes greater than or equal to a certain amount (for example,when the external environment information that is acquired by thevehicle traveling a certain or longer distance in the area istransmitted to the map information update server 101).

The incentive point awarding unit 13 awards more incentive points forhigher map freshness of the area corresponding to the externalenvironment information. When the map freshness is higher than or equalto a predetermined threshold, the incentive point awarding unit 13 mayaward more incentive points than when the map freshness is lower thanthe predetermined threshold.

The incentive point awarding unit 13 awards an additional incentivepoint when the external environment information satisfying apredetermined condition is transmitted to the map information updateserver 101. The additional incentive point is a point that isadditionally awarded to the user or the vehicle independently of theincentive point corresponding to the map freshness. The additionalincentive point can have a value that is set in advance (for example, afixed value). Types of additional incentive points include a firstadditional incentive point, a second additional incentive point, and athird additional incentive point. Details of each additional incentivepoint will be described below.

The reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates the reliability of theexternal environment information. The reliability of the externalenvironment information is the reliability of the vehicle control device102 that is included in the external environment information and isacquired at the time of detecting the external environment of thevehicle. When, for example, information of the white line on the road isnot included in the external environment information due to a precedingvehicle or the like covering the white line in the detection range ofthe external sensor at the time of detecting the external environment ofthe vehicle, the reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates thereliability of the external environment information as a lower valuethan when information of the white line is included in the externalenvironment information. The reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluatethe reliability as a lower value as the proportion of the white linecovered by another vehicle or the like in the external environmentinformation is higher. The proportion of the covered white line can beacquired using a well-known technology (for example, an image processingtechnology for cameras).

The reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluate the reliability of theexternal environment information based on the reliability of theexternal sensor at the time of detecting the external environment of thevehicle. Similarly, the reliability evaluation unit 14 may evaluate thereliability of the external environment information based on thereliability (stability) of an ECU of the vehicle control device 102. Thereliability of the external sensor and the reliability of the ECU can beacquired using a well-known technology. In such a case, the reliabilityevaluation unit 14 acquires the reliability of the external sensorand/or the reliability of the ECU at the time of detecting the externalenvironment of the vehicle by communicating with the vehicle.

The map information update unit 15 updates the map information in theserver-side map database 11 based on the external environmentinformation acquired from the vehicle. First, the map information updateunit 15 determines whether or not the reliability of the externalenvironment information evaluated by the reliability evaluation unit 14is higher than or equal to a reliability threshold. The reliabilitythreshold is a threshold that is set in advance. The map informationupdate unit 15 updates the map information based on the externalenvironment information having reliability higher than or equal to thereliability threshold. The map information update unit 15 updates themap information using the external environment information that has thereliability higher than or equal to a reliability threshold.

The map information update unit 15 updates the map information based onthe external environment information using a well-known technology. Forexample, the map information update unit 15 updates the map informationby generating a continuous road surface image from captured images of acamera included in the external environment information, and merging thegenerated road surface image on the map under a certain condition.

Configuration of Vehicle Control Device

A configuration of the vehicle control device 102 of the map informationupdate system 100 will be described. The vehicle control device 102 is adevice that controls the vehicle which can communicate with the mapinformation update server 101. Control of the vehicle includes controlof at least a human machine interface (HMI) 25 described below. Controlof the vehicle may include control of traveling of the vehicle (forexample, autonomous driving control and driving assistance control).

The vehicle control device 102 includes an electronic control unit (ECU)30 that manages the overall vehicle control device 102. The ECU 30 is anelectronic control unit that includes a central processing unit (CPU), aread-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a controller areanetwork (CAN) communication circuit, and the like. For example, in theECU 30, various functions are realized by loading a program stored inthe ROM into the RAM and executing the program loaded in the RAM usingthe CPU. The ECU 30 may be configured with a plurality of electronicunits.

The ECU 30 is connected to a GPS receiver 21, an external sensor 22, aninternal sensor 23, the vehicle-side map database 24, the HMI 25, anactuator 26, and a vehicle-side communication unit 27.

The GPS receiver 21 measures the position of the vehicle (for example,the latitude and the longitude of the vehicle) by receiving signals fromthree or more GPS satellites. The GPS receiver 21 transmits the measuredposition information of the vehicle to the ECU 30.

The external sensor 22 is a detector that detects a situation around thevehicle. The external sensor 22 includes at least one of a camera and aradar sensor.

The camera is a capturing device that captures the external environmentof the vehicle. The camera is disposed behind a windshield of thevehicle. The camera transmits the captured information related to theexternal environment of the vehicle to the ECU 30. The camera may be amonocular camera or a stereo camera. The stereo camera includes twocapturing units that are disposed to reproduce binocular disparity. Thecaptured information of the stereo camera includes depthwiseinformation.

The radar sensor is a detector that detects an obstacle around thevehicle using an electric wave (for example, a millimeter wave) orlight. For example, the radar sensor is a millimeter wave radar or useslight detection and ranging (LIDAR). The radar sensor detects anobstacle by transmitting an electric wave or light to the surroundingarea of the vehicle and receiving an electric wave or light reflected byan obstacle. The radar sensor transmits the detected obstacleinformation to the ECU 30. Types of obstacles include a fixed obstaclesuch as a guardrail and a building, and a moving obstacle such as apedestrian, a bicycle, and another vehicle.

The internal sensor 23 is a detector that detects the traveling state ofthe vehicle. The internal sensor 23 includes a vehicle speed sensor, anacceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor isa detector that detects the speed of the vehicle. For example, a wheelspeed sensor that is disposed at a wheel or a driveshaft or the like ofthe vehicle rotating with the wheel as a single body and detects therotation speed of the wheel is used as the vehicle speed sensor. Thevehicle speed sensor transmits the detected vehicle speed information(wheel speed information) to the ECU 30.

The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration ofthe vehicle. For example, the acceleration sensor includes a forward andrearward acceleration sensor that detects the forward and rearwardacceleration of the vehicle, and a lateral acceleration sensor thatdetects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle. For example, theacceleration sensor transmits the acceleration information of thevehicle to the ECU 30. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detectsthe yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) of the vehicle about thevertical axis at the center of gravity of the vehicle. For example, agyrosensor can be used as the yaw rate sensor. The yaw rate sensortransmits the detected yaw rate information of the vehicle to the ECU30.

The vehicle-side map database 24 is a database that stores mapinformation. For example, the vehicle-side map database 24 is formed ina hard disk drive (HDD) that is mounted in the vehicle. The vehicle-sidemap database 24 communicates with the map information update server 101and updates the map information by referencing the server-side mapdatabase 11. The vehicle control device 102 may not include thevehicle-side map database 24 and may be configured to acquire needed mapinformation from the server-side map database 11.

The HMI 25 is an interface for output and input of information betweenthe driver and the vehicle control device 102. For example, the HMI 25includes a display that displays image information to the driver or thelike, and a touch panel where the driver performs an input operation.The HMI 25 is connected to a speaker of the vehicle. The HMI 25 displaysimage information on the display and outputs audio from the speakerbased on a control signal from the ECU 30. The HMI 25 may include amicrophone for acquiring the voice of the user and have a voicerecognition function for recognizing the voice of the user acquired withthe microphone.

The actuator 26 is a device that is used in control of the vehicle. Theactuator 26 includes at least a throttle actuator, a brake actuator, anda steering actuator. The throttle actuator controls the drive power ofthe vehicle by controlling the amount of air supplied to an engine(throttle opening degree) in accordance with a control signal from theECU 30. When the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, the drive power of thevehicle is controlled by inputting a control signal into a motor as adrive source from the ECU 30 in addition to control of the amount of airsupplied to the engine. When the vehicle is an electric vehicle, thedrive power of the vehicle is controlled by inputting a control signalinto a motor as a drive source from the ECU 30. The motor as a drivesource in such cases constitutes the actuator 26.

The brake actuator controls braking power applied to the wheel of thevehicle by controlling a brake system in accordance with a controlsignal from the ECU 30. For example, a hydraulic brake system can beused as the brake system. The steering actuator controls an assist motorof an electric power steering system to be driven in accordance with acontrol signal from the ECU 30. The assist motor controls steeringtorque. Accordingly, the steering actuator controls the steering torqueof the vehicle.

The vehicle-side communication unit 27 is a device for communicationwith the map information update server 101. The vehicle control device102 transmits and receives various types of information with the mapinformation update server 101 through the vehicle-side communicationunit 27. The form of communication is not particularly limited.

A functional configuration of the ECU 30 will be described. The ECU 30includes a user authentication unit 31, a vehicle position recognitionunit 32, a path selection unit 33, an external environment recognitionunit 34, an external environment information generation unit 35, atraveling state recognition unit 36, a vehicle controller 37, and a userinteraction unit 38. A part of the functions of the ECU 30 describedbelow may be executed in a server or the like that can communicate withthe vehicle.

The user authentication unit 31 authenticates each individual user ofthe vehicle. The user authentication unit 31 authenticates eachindividual user through the HMI 25 using a well-known technology (forexample, voiceprint authentication and facial image authentication). Thevehicle control device 102 does not need to include the userauthentication unit 31 when the target of awarding the incentive pointis fixedly set as the vehicle or the owner of the vehicle.

The vehicle position recognition unit 32 recognizes the position of thevehicle on the map based on the position information of the GPS receiver21 and the map information in the vehicle-side map database 24. Thevehicle position recognition unit 32 uses the detection result of theexternal sensor 22 and the position information of a fixed obstacle suchas a power pole included in the map information in the vehicle-side mapdatabase 24 to recognize the position of the vehicle using thesimultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology. The vehicleposition recognition unit 32 may recognize the position of the vehicleon the map using other well-known techniques.

The path selection unit 33 presents a traveling path of the vehicle tothe user through the HMI 25 when a destination of the vehicle is set.The destination of the vehicle may be set by the user or may beautomatically set by the vehicle control device 102 using a well-knowntechnology.

The path selection unit 33 presents the traveling path of the vehicle tothe user using a well-known technology based on the map information andthe position of the vehicle on the map recognized by the vehicleposition recognition unit 32. When a plurality of paths to thedestination is present, the path selection unit 33 causes the user toselect a path by presenting the paths. The path selection unit 33 setsthe path selected by the user as the traveling path of the vehicle inaccordance with a response of the user. The path selection unit 33determines whether or not the vehicle arrives at the destination basedon the map information and the position of the vehicle on the maprecognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32. When the pathselection unit 33 determines that the vehicle arrives at thedestination, the path selection unit 33 cancels the setting of the path.

The external environment recognition unit 34 recognizes the externalenvironment around the vehicle based on the detection result of theexternal sensor 22. The external environment includes the position ofthe white line on the road traveled by the vehicle, the shape of theroad, the width of the road, and a situation of an obstacle (a situationof a moving obstacle such as another vehicle, a bicycle, and apedestrian, or a fixed obstacle such as a power pole, a guardrail, and abuilding, or the like). The external environment is not limited to theenvironment on the road and may include the environment in the wholedetection range of the external sensor 22. The external environmentrecognition unit 34 recognizes the external environment using awell-known technique based on the captured image of the camera and theobstacle information of the radar sensor.

The external environment information generation unit 35 generates theexternal environment information based on the position of the vehicle onthe map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32 and theexternal environment around the vehicle recognized by the externalenvironment recognition unit 34. The external environment informationincludes information of the external environment that is associated withthe position of the vehicle on the map. The external environmentinformation may include the reliability of the external sensor 22 at thetime of detecting the external environment and/or the reliability of therecognized position of the vehicle. The external environment informationgeneration unit 35 may recognize each area set in advance on the map bycommunicating with the map information update server 101, and generatethe external environment information per area.

The traveling state recognition unit 36 recognizes the traveling stateof the vehicle based on the detection result of the internal sensor 23.The traveling state includes the vehicle speed of the vehicle, theacceleration of the vehicle, and the yaw rate of the vehicle.Specifically, the traveling state recognition unit 36 recognizes thevehicle speed of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed information ofthe vehicle speed sensor. The traveling state recognition unit 36recognizes the acceleration of the vehicle based on the vehicle speedinformation of the acceleration sensor. The traveling state recognitionunit 36 recognizes the direction of the vehicle based on the yaw rateinformation of the yaw rate sensor.

The vehicle controller 37 controls traveling of the vehicle bytransmitting a control signal to the actuator 26. When autonomousdriving control is requested for the vehicle, the vehicle controller 37executes the autonomous driving control of the vehicle based on the mapinformation in the vehicle-side map database 24, the position of thevehicle on the map recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit32, the path set in the path selection unit 33, the external environmentof the vehicle recognized by the external environment recognition unit34, and the traveling state of the vehicle recognized by the travelingstate recognition unit 36. The vehicle controller 37 uses a well-knowntechnology to execute the autonomous driving control for causing thevehicle to travel without needing a driving operation of the user.

The vehicle controller 37 may perform driving assistance control of thevehicle. The driving assistance control can include lane keeping assist(LKA) and/or adaptive cruise control (ACC). The driving assistancecontrol enables control corresponding to autonomous driving level 1 orautonomous driving level 2. When the path is set in the path selectionunit 33, the vehicle controller 37 may execute path guidance control forguiding the user along the path through the HMI 25.

When the response of the user to change the lane is input into the userinteraction unit 38 described below, the vehicle controller 37 may havethe function of automatically executing a lane change even when thevehicle is being manually driven (or under the driving assistancecontrol).

The user interaction unit 38 exchanges various types of information withthe user of the vehicle through the HMI 25. The user interaction unit 38may have the function of setting the target of awarding the incentivepoint. The target of awarding the incentive point can be selected fromvehicles or users of a vehicle authenticated by the user authenticationunit 31. The target of awarding the incentive point may be fixedly setas either the user of the vehicle or the vehicle.

The user interaction unit 38 presents incentive point informationrelated to the incentive point in each area when requested by the user.The user interaction unit 38 acquires and presents the incentive pointinformation by communicating with the map information update server 101.

The incentive point information is information about the incentive pointthat is acquired by transmitting the external environment information ineach area to the map information update server 101. The incentive pointinformation can include information about the first additional incentivepoint and/or the second additional incentive point.

The user interaction unit 38 acquires the incentive point information bycommunicating with the map information update server 101 at the time ofpath selection in which the user selects the traveling path of thevehicle from the paths in the path selection unit 33. The userinteraction unit 38 presents the incentive point information in eachpath to the user. The incentive point information in each path isinformation related to the incentive point that is acquired bytransmitting, to the map information update server 101, the externalenvironment information which is acquired by the vehicle traveling alongeach path. Path selection may be selection of a path that the vehicleautomatically travels under the autonomous driving control, or may beselection of a path along which the user (for example, the driver) isguided while manually driving the vehicle.

For example, when the vehicle arrives at the destination set in advance,the user interaction unit 38 presents, to the user, the incentive pointinformation that is acquired by transmitting the external environmentinformation which is acquired before the vehicle arrives at thedestination. In such a case, the user interaction unit 38 asks the userwhether or not to transmit the external environment information to themap information update server 101. The user interaction unit 38 asks theuser by displaying an image or outputting audio through the HMI 25. Theuser interaction unit 38 recognizes the response of the user through theHMI 25 by recognizing the voice of the user or when an input device suchas the touch panel is operated by the user.

When the user responds to transmit the external environment informationto the map information update server 101, the user interaction unit 38transmits the external environment information to the map informationupdate server 101 through the vehicle-side communication unit 27. Whenthe user responds to not transmit the external environment informationto the map information update server 101, the user interaction unit 38does not transmit the external environment information to the mapinformation update server 101.

When the external environment information is transmitted to the mapinformation update server 101 from the vehicle, the incentive pointawarding unit 13 of the map information update server 101 awards theuser or the vehicle the incentive point that is set in advance inaccordance with the map freshness of each area corresponding to theexternal environment information.

At the time of path selection, the user interaction unit 38 acquires mapfreshness information related to the map freshness of each area alongeach path by communicating with the map information update server 101.The user interaction unit 38 determines whether or not a target paththat is the path passing through areas having map freshness lower thanor equal to a map freshness threshold is provided as a selectable optionat the time of path selection. The map freshness threshold is athreshold that is set in advance.

When the user interaction unit 38 determines that the target path isprovided as a selectable option, the user interaction unit 38 informsthe user that the first additional incentive point is awarded bytransmitting the external environment information acquired by thevehicle traveling along the target path to the map information updateserver 101. The user interaction unit 38 presents the incentive pointinformation including the first additional incentive point to the user.The number of target paths does not need to be one. A plurality oftarget paths may be provided as selectable options.

When the external environment information of the target path acquired bythe vehicle traveling along the target path selected by the user istransmitted to the map information update server 101 from the vehicle,the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the map information updateserver 101 awards the user or the vehicle the incentive point and thefirst additional incentive point. For example, the external environmentinformation of the target path may be the external environmentinformation that is acquired by the vehicle traveling a certain orgreater proportion (for example, 95% or more) of the target path.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating one example of information that ispresented to the user at the time of path selection. FIG. 2A illustratesa vehicle M and paths A, B to the destination on the map. As illustratedin FIG. 2A, the predicted needed time period for the path A (fiveminutes) is shorter than the predicted needed time period for the path B(eight minutes), but the map freshness of each area through which thepath A passes (high) is higher than the map freshness of each areathrough which the path B passes (low). Thus, the incentive point for thepath B (80 P; P is an abbreviation for point) is set to be higher thanthe incentive point for the path A (30 P) in the map information updateserver 101.

In FIG. 2A, it is assumed that the map freshness of each area throughwhich the path B passes is lower than the map freshness threshold. Insuch a case, the path B is the target of the first additional incentivepoint (+20 P). For example, the user interaction unit 38 presents thepredicted needed time period, the map freshness information, and theincentive point information for each path to the user as illustrated inFIG. 2A. Accordingly, the user is motivated to select the path B thathas a longer predicted needed time period but has low map freshness anda high incentive point. When the user interaction unit 38 recognizes theresponse of the user related to path selection, the path selection unit33 sets the path in accordance with the response of the user.

When the vehicle is traveling, the user interaction unit 38 communicateswith the map information update server 101 to acquire the map freshnessinformation of each area through which a traveling lane of the vehiclepasses, and the map freshness information of each area through which anadjacent lane adjacent to the traveling lane passes. The userinteraction unit 38 determines whether or not the map freshness of eacharea through which the adjacent lane passes is lower than the mapfreshness of each area through which the traveling lane passes. Forexample, when the path is set, the traveling lane in the determinationrefers to the range of the traveling lane of the vehicle that overlapswith the path. The traveling lane may refer to the range of thetraveling lane of the vehicle that is within a certain distance from theposition of the vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Theadjacent lane refers to a range that is adjacent to the traveling lane.

When the user interaction unit 38 determines that the map freshness ofeach area through which the adjacent lane passes is lower than the mapfreshness of each area through which the traveling lane passes, the userinteraction unit 38 informs the user that the second additionalincentive point is awarded by transmitting the external environmentinformation acquired by the vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane tothe map information update server 101. The user interaction unit 38presents the incentive point information including the second additionalincentive point to the user.

When the external environment information of the adjacent lane istransmitted to the map information update server 101 from the vehicle bythe vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane after the vehicle changes thelane, the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the map information updateserver 101 awards the user or the vehicle the incentive point and thesecond additional incentive point. The external environment informationof the adjacent lane may be the external environment information that isacquired by the vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane a certain orlonger distance (or a certain or greater proportion of the adjacentlane).

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating one example of information that ispresented to the user at the time of suggesting a lane change. Asillustrated in FIG. 2B, the predicted needed time period is increasedwhen the vehicle changes the lane to the adjacent lane. Meanwhile, themap freshness of each area through which the adjacent lane passes islow. Thus, the incentive point is increased by 20 P from when thevehicle continues traveling on the current traveling lane. Since thelane change is needed, the second additional incentive point (+10 P) isapplied.

The user interaction unit 38 presents a change in predicted needed timeperiod due to the lane change, the map freshness information of theadjacent lane, and the incentive point information of the adjacent laneto the user as illustrated in FIG. 2B. Accordingly, the user ismotivated to change the lane to the adjacent lane that has an increasedpredicted needed time period but has low map freshness and provides theincentive point. The lane change may be automatically performed inaccordance with the response of the user or may be manually performed bythe user. The adjacent lane is not limited to a lane that is immediatelyadjacent to the traveling lane. The adjacent lane may refer to aparallel lane (a lane in the same direction as the traveling lane) thatis at a distance corresponding to one lane or a plurality of lanes fromthe traveling lane in a road having three or more lanes on a singleside.

The user interaction unit 38 sets automatic transmission forautomatically transmitting the external environment information to themap information update server 101 when requested by the user. Whenautomatic transmission is set, the user interaction unit 38automatically transmits the external environment information generatedby the external environment information generation unit 35 to the mapinformation update server 101. The user interaction unit 38 informs theuser that the third additional incentive point is awarded when theexternal environment information is automatically transmitted to the mapinformation update server 101 by setting automatic transmission.

When the external environment information is automatically transmittedto the map information update server 101 by setting automatictransmission, the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the mapinformation update server 101 awards the user or the vehicle the thirdadditional incentive point.

Processes of Map Information Update System

Hereinafter, processes of the map information update system 100according to the present embodiment will be described with reference tothe drawings.

Map Information Update Process

FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating a map information update process.

The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 3A is executed when the mapinformation update server 101 acquires the external environmentinformation from the vehicle.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, in S10, the reliability evaluation unit 14 ofthe map information update server 101 evaluates the reliability of theexternal environment information. When, for example, information of thewhite line on the road is not included in the external environmentinformation, the reliability evaluation unit 14 evaluates thereliability of the external environment information as a lower valuethan when information of the white line is included in the externalenvironment information.

In S12, the map information update unit 15 of the map information updateserver 101 determines whether or not the reliability of the externalenvironment information is higher than or equal to the reliabilitythreshold. The map information update server 101 finishes the currentprocess when the map information update unit 15 determines that thereliability of the external environment information is not higher thanor equal to the reliability threshold (S12: NO). The map informationupdate server 101 transitions to S14 when the map information updateunit 15 determines that the reliability of the external environmentinformation is higher than or equal to the reliability threshold (S12:YES).

In S14, the map information update server 101 updates the mapinformation using the external environment information havingreliability higher than or equal to the reliability threshold. The mapinformation update unit 15 updates the map information based on theexternal environment information using a well-known technology. Then,the map information update server 101 finishes the current process.

Map Freshness Calculation Process

FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating a map freshness calculation process.The process illustrated in FIG. 3B is executed at all times.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, in S20, the map freshness calculation unit 12of the map information update server 101 calculates the map freshnessper area that is set on the map information. The map freshnesscalculation unit 12 calculates the map freshness in accordance with anelapsed time period from the update of the map information in each area.Then, the map information update server 101 finishes the currentprocess.

Information Presentation Process at Time of Path Selection

FIG. 4A is a flowchart illustrating an information presentation processat the time of path selection. The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4A isexecuted when the user selects the path.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, in S30, the user interaction unit 38 of theECU 30 of the vehicle control device 102 presents the incentive pointinformation of each path. The user interaction unit 38 presents theincentive point information of each path acquired by communicating withthe map information update server 101 to the user through the HMI 25.The user interaction unit 38 may present the predicted needed timeperiod and the map freshness information to the user along with theincentive point information.

In S32, the path selection unit 33 of the ECU 30 sets the path selectedby the user. The path selection unit 33 sets the path selected by theuser as the traveling path of the vehicle. Then, the ECU 30 finishes thecurrent process.

Incentive Point Awarding Process

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating an incentive point awarding process.The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4B is executed when the path is set.When the setting of the path is canceled before the vehicle arrives atthe destination, the process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4B isfinished.

As illustrated in FIG. 4B, in S40, the path selection unit 33 of the ECU30 of the vehicle control device 102 determines whether or not thevehicle arrives at the destination. The path selection unit 33determines whether or not the vehicle arrives at the destination basedon the map information and the position of the vehicle on the maprecognized by the vehicle position recognition unit 32. When the pathselection unit 33 determines that the vehicle does not arrive at thedestination (S40: NO), the ECU 30 finishes the current process. Then,the ECU 30 starts processing again from S40 after elapse of a certaintime period. When the path selection unit 33 determines that the vehiclearrives at the destination (S40: YES), the ECU 30 transitions to S42.

In S42, the external environment information generation unit 35 of theECU 30 generates the external environment information. The externalenvironment information generation unit 35 generates the externalenvironment information by associating the position of the vehicle onthe map with the external environment around the vehicle that isrecognized by the external environment recognition unit 34 before thevehicle arrives at the destination.

In S44, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 presents theincentive point information to the user. The user interaction unit 38presents the incentive point information in the external environmentinformation generated by the external environment information generationunit 35 to the user.

In S46, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 asks the user whetheror not to transmit the external environment information to the mapinformation update server 101. The user interaction unit 38 asks theuser by displaying an image or outputting audio through the HMI 25.

In S48, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 determines whether ornot the user responds to transmit the external environment informationto the map information update server 101. When the user responds to nottransmit the external environment information to the map informationupdate server 101 (S48: NO), the ECU 30 finishes the current process.When the user responds to transmit the external environment informationto the map information update server 101 (S48: YES), the ECU 30transitions to S50.

In S50, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 transmits theexternal environment information to the map information update server101. The user interaction unit 38 transmits the external environmentinformation to the map information update server 101 through thevehicle-side communication unit 27.

In S52, the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the map informationupdate server 101 awards the user or the vehicle the incentive point.The incentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user or the vehicle theincentive point that is set in advance in accordance with the mapfreshness of each area corresponding to the external environmentinformation transmitted from the vehicle control device 102. Then, theECU 30 and the map information update server 101 finish the currentprocess.

Target Path Selection Process

FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating a target path selection process. Theflowchart illustrated in FIG. 5A is executed when the user selects thepath.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, in S60, the user interaction unit 38 of theECU 30 of the vehicle control device 102 determines whether or not thetarget path that is the path passing through each area having mapfreshness lower than or equal to the map freshness threshold is providedas a selectable option. The user interaction unit 38 performs thedetermination based on the map freshness information that is acquired bycommunicating with the map information update server 101 and is relatedto the map freshness of each area along each path. When the userinteraction unit 38 determines that the target path is not provided as aselectable option (S60: NO), the ECU 30 finishes the current process.When the user interaction unit 38 determines that the target path isprovided as a selectable option (S60: YES), the ECU 30 transitions toS62.

In S62, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 presents theincentive point information to the user. The user interaction unit 38presents the incentive point information including the first additionalincentive point to the user.

In S64, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 determines whether ornot the user selects the target path. When the user does not select thetarget path (S64: NO), the ECU 30 finishes the current process. When theuser selects the target path (S64: YES), the ECU 30 transitions to S66.

In S66, the path selection unit 33 of the ECU 30 sets the path. The pathselection unit 33 sets the target path as the traveling path of thevehicle. Then, the ECU 30 transitions to a first additional incentivepoint awarding process.

First Additional Incentive Point Awarding Process

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating the first additional incentive pointawarding process. When the setting of the path is canceled before thevehicle arrives at the destination, the process of the flowchartillustrated in FIG. 5B is finished.

As illustrated in FIG. 5B, in S70, the incentive point awarding unit 13of the map information update server 101 determines whether or not theexternal environment information of the target path is transmitted tothe map information update server 101. When the incentive point awardingunit 13 determines that the external environment information of thetarget path is not transmitted to the map information update server 101(S70: NO), the map information update server 101 starts processing againfrom S70 after elapse of a certain time period. When the incentive pointawarding unit 13 determines that the external environment information ofthe target path is transmitted to the map information update server 101(S70: YES), the map information update server 101 transitions to S72.

In S72, the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the map informationupdate server 101 awards the first additional incentive point. Theincentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user or the vehicle thefirst additional incentive point. In addition to the first additionalincentive point, the incentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user orthe vehicle the incentive point that is set in advance in accordancewith the map freshness of each area corresponding to the externalenvironment information of the target path. Then, the map informationupdate server 101 finishes the current process.

Adjacent Lane Determination Process

FIG. 6A is a flowchart illustrating an adjacent lane determinationprocess. The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6A is executed when thevehicle is traveling.

As illustrated in FIG. 6A, in S80, the user interaction unit 38 of theECU 30 of the vehicle control device 102 determines whether or not themap freshness of each area through which the adjacent lane passes islower than the map freshness of each area through which the travelinglane passes. The user interaction unit 38 performs the determinationbased on the map freshness information that is acquired by communicatingwith the map information update server 101.

When the user interaction unit 38 determines that the map freshness ofeach area through which the adjacent lane passes is not lower than themap freshness of each area through which the traveling lane passes (S80:NO), the ECU 30 finishes the current process. Then, the ECU 30 startsprocessing S80 again after elapse of a certain time period. A NOdetermination is made in S80 when there is no adjacent lane. When theuser interaction unit 38 determines that the map freshness of each areathrough which the adjacent lane passes is lower than the map freshnessof each area through which the traveling lane passes (S80: YES), the ECU30 transitions to S82.

In S82, the user interaction unit 38 of the ECU 30 presents theincentive point information to the user. The user interaction unit 38presents the incentive point information including the second additionalincentive point to the user. Then, the ECU 30 transitions to a secondadditional incentive point awarding process.

Second Additional Incentive Point Awarding Process

FIG. 6B is a flowchart illustrating the second additional incentivepoint awarding process. The process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG.6B may be finished when a determination is made that the vehicle is nottraveling in the adjacent lane during elapse of a certain time period.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, in S90, the incentive point awarding unit 13of the map information update server 101 determines whether or not theexternal environment information of the adjacent lane is transmitted tothe map information update server 101. When the incentive point awardingunit 13 determines that the external environment information of theadjacent lane is not transmitted to the map information update server101 (S90: NO), the map information update server 101 starts processingS90 again after elapse of a certain time period. When the incentivepoint awarding unit 13 determines that the external environmentinformation of the adjacent lane is transmitted to the map informationupdate server 101 (S90: YES), the map information update server 101transitions to S92.

In S92, the incentive point awarding unit 13 of the map informationupdate server 101 awards the second additional incentive point. Theincentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user or the vehicle thesecond additional incentive point. In addition to the second additionalincentive point, the incentive point awarding unit 13 awards the user orthe vehicle the incentive point that is set in advance in accordancewith the map freshness of each area corresponding to the externalenvironment information of the target path. Then, the map informationupdate server 101 finishes the current process.

Effects of Map Information Update System

In the map information update system 100 according to the presentembodiment described heretofore, when the external environmentinformation is transmitted to the map information update server from thevehicle, the user of the vehicle or the vehicle is awarded the incentivepoint that is set in advance in accordance with the map freshnesscalculated per area corresponding to the external environmentinformation. Accordingly, the map information update system 100 canaward the user of the vehicle or the vehicle the incentive point thatcorresponds to the usefulness of information transmitted to the mapinformation update server. The map information update system 100 canimprove the convenience of use for the user by presenting the mapfreshness information related to the map freshness of each area or theincentive point information related to the incentive point of each areato the user.

The map information update system 100 asks the user whether or not totransmit the external environment information to the map informationupdate server from the vehicle. When the user responds to not transmitthe external environment information to the map information updateserver, the external environment information is not transmitted to themap information update server. Thus, the convenience of use for the usercan be improved.

The map information update system 100 presents the map freshnessinformation or the incentive point information in each path to the userat the time of path selection. Thus, the user can be motivated to selectthe path from which the user wants to acquire the external environmentinformation from the viewpoint of updating the map information. The mapinformation update system 100, by awarding the first additionalincentive point, can motivate the user to select the target path passingthrough each area having map freshness lower than or equal to the mapfreshness threshold. Thus, it is advantageous for both the user and asystem operator to transmit the external environment information of eacharea having map freshness lower than or equal to the map freshnessthreshold to the map information update server.

The map information update system 100, by awarding the second additionalincentive point, can motivate the user to change the lane to theadjacent lane that passes through each area having lower map freshness,when the map freshness of each area through which the adjacent laneadjacent to the traveling lane passes is lower than the map freshness ofeach area through which the traveling lane traveled by the vehiclepasses. Thus, it is advantageous for both the user and the systemoperator to transmit the external environment information of each areahaving lower map freshness to the map information update server.

The map information update system 100 automatically transmits theexternal environment information generated by the external environmentinformation generation unit to the map information update server whenthe user sets automatic transmission to automatically transmit theexternal environment information of the vehicle to the map informationupdate server. Thus, the user does not need to respond each time fortransmission of the external environment information, and theconvenience of use for the user can be improved. The map informationupdate system 100, by awarding the third additional incentive point, canmotivate the user to set automatic transmission of the externalenvironment information of the vehicle, and the map information updateserver can stably acquire the external environment information. Thus, itis advantageous for both the user and the system operator.

While an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is describedheretofore, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment. Thepresent disclosure can be embodied in various forms that are achieved bycarrying out various changes and improvements to the embodiment based onthe knowledge of those skilled in the art.

The vehicle control device 102 of the map information update system 100does not need to control traveling of the vehicle. In such a case, theECU 30 of the vehicle control device 102 does not need to include thetraveling state recognition unit 36 and the vehicle controller 37. Thevehicle control device 102 does not need to present the incentive pointinformation or the map freshness information at the time of pathselection. The vehicle control device 102 may present the incentivepoint information or the map freshness information when the vehiclearrives at the destination, or when requested by the user. The userinteraction unit 38 may present merely the map freshness informationinstead of the incentive point information to the user. The incentivepoint may be awarded to both the user and the vehicle.

The vehicle control device 102 may not have the function of asking theuser. That is, the vehicle control device 102 may automatically transmitthe external environment information to the map information updateserver 101 at all times. In such a case, the map information updateserver 101 automatically awards the user or the vehicle the incentivepoint. The vehicle control device 102 presents the awarded incentivepoint information to the user.

The map information update system 100 does not need to award the firstadditional incentive point, the second additional incentive point, andthe third additional incentive point. The map information update system100 may be configured to award any one or any two of the firstadditional incentive point, the second additional incentive point, andthe third additional incentive point, or may be configured to not awardall of the first additional incentive point, the second additionalincentive point, and the third additional incentive point.

The map information update system 100 may not have the function ofautomatic transmission for automatically transmitting the externalenvironment information to the map information update server 101. Themap information update server 101 does not need to include thereliability evaluation unit 14 that evaluates the reliability of theexternal environment information.

As a modification example of the map information update system, it isconsidered that when the user selects the path at the time of user'spath selection during or at the start of the autonomous driving controlof the vehicle, the user or the vehicle is first awarded the incentivepoint corresponding to the external environment information that will beacquired by the vehicle traveling along the path selected by the user.That is, it is considered that when there is high likelihood ofcollecting the external environment information by the vehicle travelingalong the path selected by the user under the autonomous drivingcontrol, the incentive point may be awarded before the externalenvironment information is transmitted to the map information updateserver 101. For example, in S32 in FIG. 4A, when the path selected bythe user is set as the traveling path of the vehicle under theautonomous driving control, the user or the vehicle is awarded theincentive point in each area through which the path passes. The firstadditional incentive point may also be awarded first to the user or thevehicle in the same manner.

As a modification example of the map information update system, when adetermination is made that the map freshness of each area through whichthe adjacent lane passes is lower than the map freshness of each areathrough which the traveling lane passes, and there is high likelihood ofcollecting the external environment information by the vehicle travelingon the adjacent lane under the autonomous driving control after the userchooses to change the lane, the second additional incentive point may beawarded to the user or the vehicle when the user chooses to change thelane. The third additional incentive point may be awarded to the user orthe vehicle when automatic transmission is set.

What is claimed is:
 1. A map information update server comprising: afirst database configured to store map information; and a controlcircuit configured to: calculate a map freshness in accordance with anelapsed time period from an update of the map information in each area,calculate a score based on the map information, the map freshness, andfirst information related to a position of the vehicle acquired bycommunicating with the vehicle, wherein the score includes incentivepoints for motivating a user to transmit second information to the mapinformation update server, store the score in a second database, whereinthe score is associated with the user of the vehicle or the vehicleitself, transmit the score to the vehicle, receive the secondinformation from the vehicle and update the map information stored inthe first database based on the second information that is transmittedfrom the vehicle after the score that is in the second database istransmitted to the vehicle, and update the score for the user or thevehicle that is stored in the second database when the map informationis updated in the first database based on the second informationreceived from the vehicle.
 2. The map information update serveraccording to claim 1, wherein the second information includes externalenvironment information from the user of the communicating vehicle, andthe first database is configured to receive the external environmentinformation from the user, based upon the user agreeing to transmit theexternal environment information to the map information update server.3. The map information update server according to claim 2, wherein thecontrol circuit determines whether a reliability of the externalenvironment information is higher than or equal to a reliabilitythreshold, and updates the map information using the externalenvironment information that has the reliability higher than or equal tothe reliability threshold.
 4. The map information update serveraccording to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configuredto: when a target path that passes through the area having the mapfreshness lower than or equal to a map freshness threshold is includedin the paths at a time of a path selection by the user, cause the userto be notified that a first additional score is awarded for transmittingthe external environment information acquired by the vehicle travelingalong the target path to the map information update server; and awardingthe user or the vehicle the first additional score when the externalenvironment information of the target path acquired by the vehicletraveling along the target path selected by the user is transmitted tothe map information update server.
 5. The map information update serveraccording to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: whenthe map freshness of the area through which an adjacent lane that isadjacent to a traveling lane traveled by the vehicle passes is lowerthan the map freshness of the area through which the traveling lanepasses, cause the user to be notified that a second additional score isawarded for transmitting the external environment information acquiredby the vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane to the map informationupdate server; and awarding the user or the vehicle the secondadditional score when the external environment information of theadjacent lane acquired by the vehicle changing the lane is transmittedto the map information update server.
 6. The map information updateserver according to claim 1, wherein the second information includesexternal environment information from the user of the communicatingvehicle, wherein when the user sets automatic transmission toautomatically transmit the external environment information of thevehicle to the map information update server, the second database isconfigured to receive the external environment information from theuser.
 7. The map information update server according to claim 6,wherein: when the external environment information is automaticallytransmitted to the map information update server by setting theautomatic transmission, the control circuit is further configured toaward the user or the vehicle a third additional score.